Help! Buzz behind the nut

[Manfloozy]

So I'm lovin' the Stingray.... put the action so low, it is just like buttah.

The setup has no noise on it, except for a buzz behind the nut on the D string when plucked really hard.

There is no buzz if I place a finger on the string behind the nut. The string is wound out and down on the tuner, and it is laying in the nut fine.

The strings are Flats, standard gauge, and the string guide is in place and all the way down. I've tried re-seating the string, and the groove behind the nut looks about the same as other strings. All other strings are absolutely silent no matter how hard I pluck.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestings?

The buzz doesn't come through the amp, and I don't normally pluck hard enough to create the buzz... its just my OCD wanting to make this perfect instrument perfect.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Smakbass]

I guess you could put a peice of foam under it?

 

[the unrepentant]

have you tried a different string? take one off your bongo or something, could just be a dodgy string

 

[boombox]

Try rotating the string 90 degrees. Sounds crazy but it will often time resolve the issue.

 

[bradfordws]

That's strange because the D goes under the string retainer. If there was no retainer, there would be a buzz. I've used the super glue trick to tighten up nut slots and it works great. Guitar repair guys do it all the time. I usually use a drop of glue in the bottom of the slot if the string is too low, but in this case, I don't see why you couldn't apply some into the whole slot to create a tighter fit. Plan B would be to get a whole new nut installed. The foam idea would work, but if you're the perfectionist type (like I am) that would be NG.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

I had the same with my Bongo on the exact same string, with the compensated nut, one day I was giving the neck a good dose of Wonder Wipe Fretboard Conditioner and thought why not? So I folded the wipe into a thin rope and run it through the nut slot, the buzz was gone! and its still gone after 3 sets of string changes. Amazing.

 

[five7]

Good idea, Grand Wazoo!

 

[oli@bass]

Try rotating the string 90 degrees. Sounds crazy but it will often time resolve the issue.

That's quite an interesting suggestion! (and it makes perfect bass sense)

 

[Manfloozy]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'll give them a try and report back on what I find out!

 

[bovinehost]

Try rotating the string 90 degrees. Sounds crazy but it will often time resolve the issue.

I have done this, too, and had it work. I think - and trust me, I'm just guessing here - that sometimes a string might have a slight twist when you tighten it and taking it off and repositioning it gets rid of the kink.

Then again, I might be talking out of my posterior.

 

[boombox]

A man with the initials MT taught me that trick and I believe that he knows what he is talking about. (He could be considered competition so the name has been removed to protect the innocent.) It’s not 100% guaranteed but it often will work if no other solution can be found.

 

[douglasspears]

A man with the initials MT taught me that trick

Moff Tarkin?

 

[tommyindelaware]

if i may offer some food for thought. in most instances..............the string is rattling in the nut slot......& the slots should be angled downward a little more..........so that the string only contacts the bottom of the nut at the front of the nut .if it has contact all along the bottom of the slot......the string is more likely to rattle. i always cut slots w/ a downward pitch.(low side on the headstock side of the nut). seems to always work.if your slots are already the height you like.......then you must be careful not to deepen the fingerboard side of the slot. you must use the proper nutslot files to do this.......or you will create more problems then toy will be solving.i've seen this issue mystify more than one tech before.